Review of mv Discovery

First debuted in 1971, the mv Discovery cruise ship began her life in the Flagship Cruises fleet as Island Venture. In 1974, the vessel was sold to Princess Cruises (and renamed Island Princess), together with sister her ship (christened Pacific Princess). Island Princess is famous for taking part in the American TV series, the ‘Love Boat’.

History - construction & ownership

The 20,216-ton, 698-passenger ship mv Discovery is the perfect choice for cruisers who are looking for a sense of adventure and emotion on their holiday. The Discovery offers a quiet and intimate environment, making it ideal for travelers who do not especially like the glitz associated with the bigger cruise companies.

In 2014 Cruise & Maritime Voyages line lost their chartered mv Discovery ship. “All Leisure Group”, the vessel’s owners, went into the red and sold the cruise ship to Liberty Resources Inc (Nassau) for $5 million, less than the half of its value. CMV will be replacing the Discovery ship with Azores, chartered from the Portuguese operator Portuscale.

Cabins

There are 15 cabin categories on mv Discovery. The suites are 5, of quite a decent size, and well designed. Most other cabins are well appointed, and there is plenty of drawer and closet space. The top category cabins have a full bathtub, while all others offer a shower enclosure, though many have obstructed views. None of ship's suites or cabins has a private balcony.

Dining options - Food & Drinks

There are a number of dining places accessible to travelers on the Discovery cruise ship, ranging from 2 formal dining venues to a cafe and casual buffet. The main eatery is the 7 Continents Restaurant. It serves 3 meals a day, with open seating for breakfast and lunch plus 2 dinner services. Meanwhile, the Yacht Club is the free alternative dining venue and there is also the Lido Cafe that serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Entertainment options - Fun & Sport

The Discovery's theatre is called Carousel Showlounge. It has banquette-style seating in tiers, set around a “thrust” stage. Onboard entertainment is low-key, with only the occasional cabaret act featured. There is live music for dancing throughout the ship. The Spa Atlantis is located aft on 2 of the uppermost decks. Ship's beauty salon is on the upper, while the three treatment rooms, the gymnasium with ocean-view windows, male and female saunas are on the lower level. The Spa is operated by Harding Brothers, a UK-based concession, and has products from Thalgo and Guinot. MV Discovery carries five Zodiacs.